Arranged: An Array Novel (Book #1)

by Hazel Grace

  “Father,” I said. “Hara is travelling back home today. She should be here by early afternoon. I will need a few of your guards to intercept them, to make sure she arrived safely.”

  “You will do no such thing!” Cecilia roared, standing from her chair. Father placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her down to take her seat again.

  “Take what you need,” he reassured me. “I want a guard at her room as well. When does your mother come home?” Cecilia seethed in her chair.

  “I believe in the next few days. She said she would send me a messenger, so I know when to prepare.”

  “No one cares if that whore lives or dies,” Cecilia growled. “You are putting the king and my son at risk by taking vital men away from their personal care!”

  “Enough!” Father roared. Cecilia jumped in her seat in surprise. “If you don’t shut your mouth, woman, you’ll be personally removed from the room.”

  “Mother, will you please write to...her family?” George asked. “Tell them what happened, and that she can be buried here or sent home.”

  Cecilia reached her hand out to touch George’s. “Of course, my dear. Anything you need me to do. I’ll also respond to some letters I’ve received on the marriage matter.”

  “What marriage matter?” George asked, pausing to take a drink of his brandy.

  Cecilia straightened her gold gown and stood up regally. “I know it’s a sensitive subject right now. We can discuss it at another time.”

  “What marriage matter, Mother?” George asked, more sternly. I stepped behind his chair to show moral support. I rarely saw him snap at his mother. She had something up her sleeve. Big surprise. Cecilia looked shocked at her son’s outburst before she quickly recovered, which turned into a look of annoyance now that I was in her line of sight, but she focused her attention on her only son.

  “Now that you are without a prospect of a wife, we’ll need to look for another one.”

  George looked at her as if she had gone completely insane. “Another one?” George repeated in a dangerous tone. “Like she was just something I bought or traded for? She was a good human being!”

  “She wasn’t ever going to be your wife!” Cecilia exclaimed. “That woman couldn’t handle a card game, let alone a kingdom. Your father told me that you would be rid of her.”

  George looked back at me. “I hadn’t gotten a chance to tell her yet. When Ava and I—”

  Cecilia smiled and clapped her hands together. “What a marvelous idea! Ava. We can make Ava your wife.”

  “No!” George and I both said in unison. Father looked at both of us, baffled.

  “We’ve already been through that.” George quickly said. “We aren’t doing that to her again.”

  “She will do as she is told!” Cecilia bellowed. “You are the future king.” She looked at her husband. “Tell him. Tell him that it is what we want. You wanted it; we went through all the trouble of locking her away to keep her safe.”

  “No,” George said flatly again.

  “She was raised to be your Queen since she was a child. She already has the training and the—”

  “I said no,” George snarled, glaring at her. Cecilia stood from her chair, her face red with frustration.

  “I said yes. And as Queen, I demand it!” She took a step toward George and said, more softly, “You are upset. Madelyn was a lovely girl. But we have a kingdom to think of; a future. Ava would be perfect. She would birth you many sons, and—”

  “No,” I warned, trying to keep myself from throttling her.

  “I don’t remember you being invited into this room, bastard. This is royal business; you may see yourself out,” Cecilia seethed through her teeth.

  “He will stay because his bastard ass keeps you alive, Cecilia. So, sit down,” Father replied, stepping beside her, daring her to challenge him.

  “I want him out of my sight. It’s bad enough I had to have this unwanted child in my presence. Years upon years, I’ve watched him grow up with my son, challenging his position, challenging my son’s right to—”

  “Leave!” my father exclaimed, pointing his finger to the door. Cecilia turned to face him.

  “How dare you!” she yelled. “You fool! You think that he is trying to help us, but I think he is behind this whole radical plan of attacks.”

  “If you don’t leave this room, Cecilia, I will have a guard drag you out by your hair.”

  She went to open her mouth again, then shut it. Looking at me one more time with fury, she left the room. I had never been seen or heard my father protect me as he did now.

  He took a seat in Cecilia’s chair and motioned for George to pour him a drink. George did what was asked of him and lit a cigar for him as well.

  “Now,” Father began, “I want to know what the two of you have been talking about.”

  “Talking about?” George asked. I sat on the arm of George’s seat.

  “Yes,” he said slowly. “The two of you have been discussing Ava, and I want to know what for. You both declined Cecilia’s offer of making her George’s wife. I want to know why.” He looked at George. “You and I spoke about this, only days ago. If you hadn’t found a new wife, Ava will fall to the task.” George took a deep breath and I shifted uncomfortably. “Did you find someone else?”

  George shook his head. “No.”

  “Then our original plan still stands.”

  “This is ridiculous,” George bit out.

  Father shrugged his shoulders. “It’s my wish, and the future of the Kingdom.”

  “You’re forcing all of us in an awkward position,” I blurted. “Ava doesn’t want to be locked into this life. George doesn’t want to do it either.”

  “And what is it that you want, son?” he asked, locking his eyes on me.

  “Not Sophia Chitwood.”

  Father chuckled and shook his head. “That ship has already sailed, Garr.”

  “Father, you don’t want her anywhere near the crown. She’s a snake; something isn’t right about her. Who the hell wants to marry a bastard and not the prince?” George said. He looked over his shoulder at me. “No offense.”

  “Lord Chitwood knows the way of things. He wouldn’t set his standards too high as to approach me about it. Everyone knows I love Garr as much as you. It’d be an honor.”

  “I’m not honored,” I snapped. “She is a pain in the ass.”

  The door slammed open suddenly, and John stumbled in. His face looked like Mr. Liason’s did; full of fear and concern.

  “My Lord!” he exclaimed, trying his best to catch his breath. “It’s Lady Barlow.”

  I dropped my glass and walked over to him. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “She collapsed. I sent for the doctor.”

  I didn’t hear anything else; I was already out the door. I ran down the hall and up a flight of stairs. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t fathom a single thought other than if she was well. I didn’t leave her long and she looked fine. What if—

  She did drink some of the coffee. Oh God.

  I busted through Ava’s bedroom door and searched for her instantly. She was laying on her bed with Lucy and Miranda sitting next to her, a wet towel on her forehead.

  “What happened?” I asked frantically.

  “She said she wanted some fresh air and went to open the doors to the garden. She suddenly fell to her knees and started to revolt all her food out, my Lord. After Miranda and I cleaned her up, she fainted. Thankfully, we had a good grip on her. She almost hit her head on the corner table by the bed.”

  I appraised her; she looked like a ghost and her breathing was shallow. I didn’t know what to do. Memories of the night I found her, after she had been attacked, flooded me. I got through that scenario, but I didn’t how I would be able to help a sickness.

  “How long has it been since the doctor was called for?” I asked, my voice shaking.

  “Your man, John, called for him right away before calling for you. He was on his toes, kne
w exactly what to do,” Lucy replied.

  I made a mental note to pay him more. John was one of the smartest men I knew, and the most trustworthy. I placed a hand on Lucy, to silently have her move aside, when the door swung open violently again.

  It was George and my father, looking completely besides themselves. George beelined to Ava’s side and looked her over.

  “Where is that blasted doctor?!” George roared. Lucy and Miranda flinched, and I stepped in front of him, blocking his view of Ava.

  “He is on his way,” I replied as calmly as I could. The helplessness I felt overwhelmed me, and now my brother was being a tyrant.

  “He lives in the palace; how long could it really take?!”

  I looked over my shoulder to my father for assistance. I couldn’t calm George down without his help. George’s fiancée, well ex-fiancée, was dead, and now Ava was lying lifeless on this bed.

  “Miranda, my dear.” I motioned to my brother. “Pour His Grace some brandy, and bring a chair over here, please.”

  Miranda did as she was told, and I proceeded to relax my brother.

  “Sit here,” I said to George, walking him to the chair. “And when the doctor comes, you’ll be readily available.”

  George nodded and silently drank his spirits, leaving his loud voice at bay…for now.

  The doctor showed up minutes later, in haste. He asked everyone to leave the room, but I insisted that myself and George stay. Father asked to have word sent to him immediately while he oversaw Madelyn’s funeral arrangements for George.

  For moments, the doctor didn’t speak. I took the glass right out of George’s hand and swallowed the contents, needing courage. Ava groaned when the doctor pushed on her stomach, and both of us ran to the foot of her bed.

  “What is it?” I asked. The old doctor looked at me and then George.

  “You both need to leave.” He continued his examination.

  “We will not leave, I—” George stuttered.

  “I am not going to have the two of you gawking at me while I pursue my duties. I also don’t think the young lady would appreciate while I looked under her garments, with the two of you in the same room. Now…off with you.”

  And with that, he silently dismissed us.

  ∞∞∞

  It was an hour of watching Miranda and Lucy run in and out of Ava’s room chamber. They went in with towels, basins of water, more towels, and more water. When they didn’t come out of the room after ten minutes, I started to worry. It was like clockwork, one would come out and go back in. Then the other would do the same. It wasn’t until Lucy came out with red-stained towels that I quickly approached the door.

  “You can’t go in there, my Lord,” Miranda demanded. She tried to hide the blood on the towels that she held.

  “What is going on in there?!” I said harshly.

  “Shhhh…” she replied. “You’ll wake His Grace.” George was slouched in a chair, passed out from too much brandy.

  “What is going on?” I asked, more softly but urgently.

  “She…she is coughing up blood, my Lord.”

  “Blood?!” I exclaimed. I tried to push past her, but the small brunette kept her stance.

  “Shhhh! The doctor said that it is good for her to do so.”

  “Is he crazy?! Coughing up blood is not—”

  “She was poisoned, my Lord,” she interjected. “The doctor said that by her coughing the blood out, her body is rejecting the poison which is already in her bloodstream.”

  “But she is losing blood. That can’t be—”

  “The doctor is doing everything he can…to save her life,” she said gently.

  I swallowed.

  To save her life. She was dying.

  “How bad? How bad is it? I have to see her.”

  Miranda hesitated. “I’ll ask the doctor.”

  “Will you do it now?” I asked, pleading with her. She looked at me and nodded, walking back inside.

  I walked up and down the long hallway. I didn’t know how many minutes or hours it had been before Miranda came back outside to let me in. The doctor was washing his hands and glanced in my direction.

  “She needs plenty of rest. I don’t want a parade of people in and out of this room. She has lost a lot of blood. She needs to be fed, later tonight. Some broth.” He dried his hands with a clean towel. “The word ‘rest’ is key here. I will be back in the morning to check on her.”

  “Thank you, doctor. Will she…make it?”

  The doctor paused, looking at his patient. “I won’t know until a few days have passed.”

  Lucy escorted him out of the room, and Miranda tended to the dirty towels and water. I pulled up a chair and sat next to Ava, holding her hand. Both ladies in waiting noticed and looked at each other.

  “We are going to take these downstairs and bring you up something to eat,” Lucy stated. I didn’t look at her, but shook my head.

  “No, I’m not hungry.”

  “My Lord, you will eat. You’ve been outside that door for hours. Miranda is going to wake your brother and get him to his room.”

  “Good luck. He’ll come right in here,” I declared.

  She chuckled. “You are probably right.”

  Both ladies walked out of the room and left us alone. I knew I would only have a few moments of silence with her. Ava’s beautiful red hair was wet by her forehead, from the cloths the girls put on her. Her breathing was still shallow, which scared me. I faced many foes and dangerous situations, but nothing compared to this. The powerless feeling of not being able to control this ate at me.

  I squeezed her hand and prayed. Prayed to whatever God or almighty power would listen to me.

  George stumbled ungracefully through the door, half drunk and asleep.

  “How is she?” he grumbled, stumbling to the bed.

  “The doctor said she lost a lot of blood.”

  “Blood?!”

  “Your voice could wake up the dead, George, shut up,” I growled.

  George lowered his voice. “What’s the verdict? When will she be able to get up?”

  “We don’t know.”

  “Well, I want to know!”

  “I will personally escort you out of this damn room if you don’t shut up!” I promised, shooting him a look.

  “I’m sorry,” George said. “I just don’t know how much more I can take.”

  “I know, George. Everything is going to be all right. She survived one ordeal; she must make it through this one.”

  “She will,” he agreed, as he pulled a chair up next to me and sat down.

  “Father is taking care of the arrangements,” I replied, referring to Madelyn.

  George cleared his throat. “I’m sure he’ll send her home. To be with her family.”

  “Is that what you want?” I asked, looking at him.

  “To be honest, I don’t care at this point. I’m numb. Numb to everything. I just want to fall asleep and not wake up until this is all over.”

  “I don’t think enough brandy will wipe this out,” I replied.

  “My God, I don’t know how you do it,” George said, rubbing his forehead with his fingers.

  “Do what?”

  “Handle this. Handle protecting everyone. And when something unexpected happens, that you can’t control, you can’t fix it. You just have to wait for whatever fate has planned.”

  “I’m not handling this well,” I retorted. I wanted to punch something.

  We sat with her for a while in silence, each lost in our own thoughts of the future and what laid ahead for us. Ava played a large part in both our lives; we wouldn’t survive her death.

  Lucy returned as promised, with food. Two plates filled with cheeses, meats, and grapes. “Eat up, my Lord and Your Grace. You both need to keep your strength up.”

  We ate some of their meal, talked about Ava, and then were issued back to our rooms by Lucy and Miranda. They promised to call for us if anything had changed. But everything changed no
w. I needed to get her out of here.

  ∞∞∞

  I didn’t remember when I fell asleep, or how. I found myself on the floor, with half my pants off and hands out of my sleeves. I had drank heavily, I remembered that. I paced the room, tried to read, but to no avail. I more than likely passed out.

  I quickly got dressed and washed my face, ignoring the raging headache I had. I told John to reschedule my meeting with the captain of the guard to later in the afternoon; I had to go check in on Ava, and was greeted with no news. Ava was still unconscious, and her lady’s maids were at her side all day and night, which gave me small comfort. I found George and asked him to conduct the investigation with me, to which he agreed quickly. He didn’t look like he slept well either.

  “We questioned everyone,” John reported, when the three of us were back in my study. “One of the men noticed a young maid acting strangely and interrogated her thoroughly. She babbled on about how a well-dressed man approached her and threatened her family if she didn’t poison Lady Stratford.”

  “And Lady Barlow?” I asked. John shook his head.

  “She was caught in the crossfire, my Lord. Lady Barlow wasn’t supposed to be harmed.”

  “Kill her,” George blurted out, directing our attention to him. George was upset, but I’d never heard him act so mercilessly before.

  “George—”

  “She took a life. She took the risk of getting caught. She was found out; now, she must pay.” George stood from his chair and walked out of the room, his word final. I sighed loudly.

  “Hold off,” I ordered John. “He is upset; we’ll let him cool down.”

  John bowed his head in acknowledgement and left the room. I felt emotionally drained, concerned with both Ava’s health and George’s sanity. George was normally so calm and collected, I knew he had reached his boiling point. I racked my brain, trying to think of how to make my brother’s life easier, but how could I? Until I killed the invisible men who terrorized my family, there was no rest or comfort.

  A knock on the door sounded and I yelled for whoever it was to enter. I looked up to see a slim blonde enter my study wearing a dark blue dress, the sleeves around her upper arm and off her shoulders.